The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 54: Whereabouts (1) (Part 2)

Stalls and shops that had been collecting dust began opening one after another, and the forges of craftsmen, once dimmed, blazed back to life with roaring flames.

The sound of hammers pounding metal.
The voices of merchants haggling.

A marketplace that once echoed only with sighs was now bustling, brimming with life and noise.

“We have plenty of fresh vegetables that double the flavor when paired with monster meat!”
“Charcoal that will grill Predator monster meat to perfection has arrived!”
“When cooking monster meat, our Lebanon Forge kitchen knives are your best choice!”
“Salt, pepper, butter—you name it! We’ve got all the spices to enhance monster meat’s flavor!”

Frecce had become a city that simply couldn’t live without the Predator Merchant Group.

The restaurant was a hive of activity.

“Order up here!”
“Yes, yes! Coming!”

As expected, monster meat was a massive hit again.
But unlike before, when it was just a street stall, they now had a proper, fully equipped restaurant.

It was a building specially approved by the Frecce City Council, and with no reason to refuse, I gladly accepted the offer.

That allowed me to serve more customers than ever.
And as expected, the word about Rex meat had spread like wildfire.

“I heard the rumors and had to come see for myself…”
“Can I buy some of that Rex meat, or whatever it’s called?”

The nobles were going absolutely mad for Rex meat.

And naturally, the profits from Rex meat were just as crazy.
Normally, the highest-grade beef might cost around 5 gold for 200 grams.
But the price I set for 200 grams of Rex meat?

A thousand times that.

In other words, 5,000 gold.

The price was outrageously steep—so much so that I wondered if anyone would actually buy it.
But to my surprise, the nobles didn’t hesitate to open their purses.

“Gentlemen! What took you so long to get here?”
“Do you have any idea how long our Lord has been waiting for you?”

The reason was obvious: an unparalleled taste.
Living in a cold region, Rex had evolved thick fat layers, and to balance its metabolism, it had drastically reduced its muscle mass.

I say this without hesitation—nothing surpassed the flavor of Rex meat.

To make it appear even more special, I assigned it a separate grade: “Prime.”

It didn’t mean much.
But for nobles, who loved anything marked as “exclusive” or “premium,” that alone was enough to turn their heads.

“My son comes of age in a few days. Wrap up 500 grams of Rex meat for me—make it Prime grade!”
“The king’s birthday is coming up. I want to make an impression this year—can you pack 1kg of Prime grade meat for me?”

Special occasions, gifts, bribes…
Rex meat was beginning to be recognized as a luxury brand exclusive to the Predator Merchant Group.

And so, Rex meat began selling like wildfire.

It had become a cultural symbol—one that even nobles couldn’t easily enjoy unless they were lucky or wealthy enough.

Meanwhile, I priced Alacron and Demexus meat at a modest 3 gold per serving.
It was affordable enough for ordinary folks to buy if they wanted to.

My goal wasn’t simply to make money.
I wanted to become the greatest merchant group on the continent.
And to do that, we had to embed ourselves deeply into everyday life and popular culture.

Profit from the nobles.
Fame from the public.

“Five orders of Alacron belly steak over here!”
“We’ll take three of the Demexus hindleg and four of the Alacron!”

And so, the Predator Merchant Group was pulling in massive profits while also generating explosive popularity.

Which meant I was endlessly busy preparing and grilling meat.

Thankfully, I had managed to increase my Agility to 65 by hunting werebeasts, so I could butcher and grill the meat with incredible dexterity.
And the taste I now served was on another level entirely.

“Wow! How can meat even taste this good?”
“Seriously, did you spike this with something?”
“I don’t care if you did! I can’t live without monster meat anymore!”

The customers just kept coming, nonstop.
And they weren’t just Frecce citizens.

People from other kingdoms passing through the city were also trying it.

They’d return to their own countries, spreading the word—and that rumor would take on a life of its own, growing beyond control.

The rise of the Predator Merchant Group to continental fame was just a matter of time.

A free city without monarchs or lords.

But as the saying goes, when there are no ogres in the mountains, even a troll becomes king.

Frecce, being a free trade city, was ruled by a few wealthy merchants who wielded absolute power—like lords in all but name.

To put it bluntly, in Frecce, the one with the most money held the most power.

“Just how much is all this?!”

Adelon’s face split into a huge grin as he gazed at the mountain of gold coins.

“Hehehe…!!”

It was enough gold to make you laugh just by looking at it.

And this was just a single day’s earnings—just from yesterday.

All of it had begun the moment the Predator Merchant Group started selling monster meat.

At first, he had scoffed at the group.
Then, he wasn’t happy watching them sweep up all the customers.

But before long, the Predator Merchant Group began revitalizing nearby markets, and the sales figures started hitting record highs every day.

Adelon mainly dealt in wine.
And thanks to all the nobles visiting to buy monster meat, he had pulled in a jaw-dropping profit.

Yesterday alone, he made twenty times his usual revenue.
He was practically swimming in money.

“They’re not just lucky—they’re a blessing!”

No—calling the Predator Merchant Group a mere blessing wasn’t enough.
They were saviors.

As Adelon beamed with joy—

Ding!

A customer opened the store door and stepped inside. Adelon’s brow twitched.

It was the pitch-black night.
The business day had ended, and this was supposed to be a precious moment of rest for his weary body.

Even with a [Closed] sign clearly hanging outside, someone had still walked in.

Most of all, he didn’t appreciate someone disturbing his good mood.

With an irritated look, he opened his mouth.

“We’re closed fo—”

And then he shut it.

Because the man who stepped through the door was not someone you could casually speak to.

Dark black hair with a soft sheen.
Bangs slightly falling over a strikingly defined face.
Eyes that seemed to pierce right through you—sharp and deep.
A muscular frame that couldn’t be hidden by clothes, though not overly bulky.
Long lashes that added a cold mystique, and a sharp jawline.

Even in the darkness of night, he sparkled—
The most handsome, manly, masculine, yet almost boyishly beautiful face imaginable.

How could anyone not recognize him?

“You’ve arrived!! Lord Adrian!!!”

Adelon’s back instinctively bent into a deep 90-degree bow.

Translatin_Otaku

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